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Jazmine Steele

Press Coordinator

Jazmine Steele is Press Coordinator for Sojourners. She brings her background in both journalism and ministry to Sojourners. She completed her undergraduate degree in Journalism at Grand Valley State University in Grand Rapids, Mich., and Master’s of Divinity at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. She grew up religiously “unaffiliated” and has served in Christian and Unitarian Universalist traditions.

Jazmine is a native of Detroit, where she spent four years covering arts, culture and her own creative take on community news, The Good News Banter Show.

She is intrigued by the intersections of faith and culture, but is also a lover of the arts. Jazmine’s happy place is at a craft store. You can find her between pop-up shops, random lectures, and free concerts in the city.

Posts By This Author

How ‘Detroit’ Can Reclaim Its Time

The newly released movie Detroit inflames past wounds of race, poor economic conditions, and police brutality in a city still gripped with these issues. I won’t give spoilers to the movie but I will share how Congresswoman Maxine Waters’ recent trending statement ‘reclaiming my time’ provides wisdom for a divided community to heal and waste no time re-living the past.

Why Cybersecurity Is an Issue of Faith

America as a largely Christian nation is under scrutiny for its values and integrity. It’s an interesting time to be a person committed to faith in action. How does Christian faith inspire a response to these chaotic times?

A Moral Response to Cyberwar

IN MAY, a ransomware virus attacked computer systems in 150 countries and impacted more than 200,000 people. Experts say it was one of the largest cyberattacks ever. Is cyberwar the new frontier? And what do we make of the claim by Microsoft president Brad Smith that this virus piggybacked off a digital weapon developed by the United States? And then there’s Russia’s alleged interference with the 2016 U.S. presidential election. If there was an interception of the American people’s right to the democratic process in order to advance Russia’s own political agenda, what is a proper response?

John B. Sheldon, a professor of cybersecurity at the School of Advanced Air and Space Studies in Alabama, defined cyberwar as “war conducted in and from computers and the networks connecting them, waged by states or their proxies against other states.” Cyberwar is not to be confused, according to Sheldon, with online espionage, digital terrorism, or other forms of cybercrime. Not every cyberattack is part of a cyberwar, nor should it be treated as such. Online weapons are cheap to make and easy to deploy; they are also primarily anonymous. And the most effective way to bring cybercriminals to justice and restore security might well be civilian-controlled internet policing, not state-led responses.

Why I Thank Rachel Dolezal

If the goal is to challenge a broken system, does skin color matter for the person doing the challenging? Are black people, or others from an oppressed group, the more appropriate persons to lead change? If so, who are those leaders currently, and are they doing the best job? Does an ambitious white person have a place in racial reconciliation leadership?

Processing the Spirit of Fear Pervading This Election Season

Halloween has passed and people are still scared out of their minds. The ghoulish costumes, haunted houses, and spirits, just don’t compare to the future of this country set to unfold over the next few days. Separatism, sexual assault, and scandal have set the stage. The anxiety of what is to come is chilling. I see it everywhere.